General Chat

CAN ANYONE TELL ME THE SYMPTOMS OF KIDNEY STONES.

WHEN I SAW THE RHEUMATOLOGIST HE ASKED IF I HAD BEEN TESTED FOR THEM. I THOUGHT HE WAS BEING FUNNY, BUT I HAVE A CONSTANT ACHE IN MY BACK AT THE SITE OF MY LEFT KIDNEY.
SO NOW I AM BEGINNING TO WONDER IF HE COULD BE RIGHT.

ANY HELP APPRECIATED THANKS

just copied this from the Bupa website: hope it helps

Many kidney stones don't move and are too small to cause any symptoms. However, if a kidney stone causes a blockage, or moves into your ureter, you may:

* have severe pain or ache on one or both sides of your back
* get sudden spasms of excruciating pain - this usually starts in the back below your ribs, before radiating around your abdomen, and sometimes to your groin and genitals
* have bloody or cloudy urine
* feel sick or vomit
* feel a frequent urge to urinate, or a burning sensation during urination
* get fever and chills

You can also have these symptoms if you have a urinary tract infection (UTI) or cystitis. If you have one or more of these symptoms, you should ask your GP for advice.

The pain of kidney stones - referred to as 'renal colic' - can be very severe. It begins as soon as the stone becomes stuck in the ureter and tends to come in waves. It's not usually associated with the size of the kidney stone - sometimes small stones can cause more pain than very large ones.

Small kidney stones are usually passed out of the body within a day or so and mostly within four weeks of the onset of symptoms. The bigger the stone the less likely it is to pass out of the body spontaneously. Stones greater than 5mm (a quarter of an inch) in diameter are the least likely to pass without medical help.

Thanks BMDMAD read this, but really don't know what my best move is.

I saw my gp last week, and when I told him what the doc had said, he just laughed.
I think they're just putting it down to my O/A

Has anyone got personal experience of stones?

Hi Vods

my OH suffers with kidney stones

gets really bad pain in his back which comes and goes, the last time he had them he went to hospital once a fortnight for Lithrotripsy for a few months.

The pain is in the lower back, its quite a sharp pain

Ask your GP to send you for Xrays

hope this helps

x

Thanks Yvonne. Will ring up on Monday.

Hi Vicky, I think if you had them you would really know about it, I ended up in hospital with one that was the size of a grain of rice but when it moved inside my kidney I would have stood on my head if it would have stopped the pain, it was excruciating! Long story but while I was in a and e, a consultant saw me doubled over in pain, waiting to be seen and fast tracked me through, screaming at a nurse to hurry up with the painkilling injection - it was the most painful thing I have ever experienced, apart from labour and that wasn't as bad as had epidural! The consultant said if men had stones in their kidneys, it was the nearest they would ever come to knowing what labour pains were like!

Mine eventually passed without further pain but while it was moving inside my kidney I was in agony. The pain was mainly in my side at the front.

Hope whatever is causing your pain can be sorted out.
love
Lizxxx

will try and phone next week when o.h. is on late shift.

My husband had a stone which was twice the size of a pea. His first sign of it was an ache in his side at the end of the day, for about a week, then he saw blood in his urine.

I have had a urinary tract infection twice and each time I had no warning whatsoever - just a sudden onset of excrutiating pain - with no relief until the antibiotics began to take effect.

Hi Vods, OH had one a few weeks back, trust me if they can treat it before it gets loose then have it seen to.

They are very painful and sounds like this may be a possibility that you have one.

Have the tests done please.

Gail

hi i have kidney stones have had them for years now had them blasted twice to try and get rid of them mine are in a place they cant get out gravity wont allow them had renal collic due to them going on the move and by god thats not pleasant have to go into hospital overnight or until they calm down and get painkilling injections then go home and wait for he next time they kick off however this may not be the case for you it depends how big they are and where in the kidney they areand wether you can pass them yourself my dad had one but he managed to pass his hope this helps a bit feel free to ask me any questions will answer if can x

Hope you can get checked out for this Vicky, as best to catch it early on if poss before the stones get on the move too much and cause such awful pain.

take care, will try and talk to you this week
love
Lizxx

Did you get an appointment Vicky?

Lizx

Dear Up Front and Prod Vods

I was getting pain in my side, back and kidney infections.

One of the GP's was unsympathetic and said it was womens troubles and did not want to do anything.

I then saw the lady GP. She immediately sent me for a Kidney Ultrasound in the hospital X-ray dept. I had to drink a lot of water and have a full bladder.

On the same day, I had a CT scan.
I have two pesky stones about 1.7cm.

I was referred to the Urology Doctor. He did not have my notes and did not listen.

He wanted to do open surgery!

He said he did not use lithropsy.

He was a right shifty fella and did not answer any questions directly.

I refused this. So I am now having lithropsy at another hospital.
I would suggest drink plenty of water and avoid calcium supplements as they aggravate the problem.

So I suggest, get a referral for a kidney ultrasound. The dept can fax the details to your GP and then you get the referral to Urology.

It drives me bonkers that everything is put down to womens troubles or age, and a lot of doctors ignore folk.

Hope all goes well for you.

Best wishes.